SHAKE-UP IN GOVT

....OSEI-KWAKU Fired...
THE President, Mr J. A. Kufuor, has made major changes in his government, moving around certain key ministers and dropping one. Six others retained their positions. Whilst Mr Edward Osei-Kwaku has been dropped, four other persons have been nominated for appointment as ministers.

A statement issued in Accra last night and signed by Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, Chief of Staff, named Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as Minister of Foreign Affairs, while Papa Owusu Ankomah takes over from him as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.

The statement also named Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom as the Minister of Energy with Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman as the Minister of the Interior while Mr Yaw Barimah becomes the Minister of Manpower Development and Employment.

The Ministries of Education, Youth and Sports have been merged with Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu as the sector minister while Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey moves from the Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs to the new Ministry of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City.

Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong becomes the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs while Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah takes over from him as Minister of Communications and Technology with Professor Kassim Kassanga as Minister of Science and Environment.

Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo retained his position as Minister of Finance which has been expanded to include Economic Planning. Professor Dominic Fobih now becomes Minister of Lands and Forestry.

Dr Richard Anane is the new Minister of Roads and Highways while Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku is now Minister of Regional Co-operation and NEPAD with Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi as Minister of the new Ministry of Ports, Harbours and Railways.

The statement further named Mrs Cecilia Bannerman as Minister of Mines, Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister of Local Government while Ms Elizabeth Ohene becomes Minister of State for Tertiary Education with Mr Ishmael Ashitey as Minister of State at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Presidential Initiatives.

The six ministers who retained their positions are Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, Defence, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Health, Mrs Gladys Asmah, Women and Children’s Affairs, Major (rtd) Courage Quashigah, Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwamena Bartels, Private Sector Development and Ms Christine Churcher, Girl-Child Education.

The four persons nominated for ministerial appoitnment are Alhaji Mustapha Iddris Ali, Minister of Works and Housing, Nana Akomea, Minister of Information, Mr Alan Kyeremanteng, Minister of Trade, Industry and Special Presidential Initiatives and Mr Rashid Bawa, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.

The statement said the Senior Minister, Mr J. H. Mensah has been given additional responsibility for Public Sector Reform and National Institutional Renewal Programme (NIRP) whilst Mr C. O. Nyanor has been confirmed as Chairman of the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC). Lt. Gen. Joshua Hamidu, has been nominated as the High Commissioner Designate to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.